While
meeting in Washington DC, board members had an excellent meeting with
the Red Cross leadership responsible for family assistance after an
air crash. We appreciate working with them since passage of the Family
Assistance Act in 1996. The Red Cross made our brochure available to
families at EgyptAir 990, and they have agreed to continue to have the
information available for family members. We appreciate their help in
reaching new family members. Often we hear from people who have said
they wished they had known about NADA/F much earlier. The support for
victims' families is an important part of our founding mission.
NADA/F's
position is that family members who have been successfully trained
should be utilized for support personnel to help the families short
term and long term after an air disaster. There are Red Cross regional
offices throughout the U.S., and they offer different levels of
services and training, depending on their size and the area. Some
offer Disaster Training Classes, and some offer Public Affairs
training, to help with the media after a disaster. People are
encouraged to check with their local Red Cross offices to see what
training is available. If your Red Cross chapter has limited training,
you may want to check with other offices in your region.
Most
important, is that family assistance after an air crash has greatly
improved, and NADA/F will continue to work with government and social
service agencies to raise the standards for support, plus disclosure
of air crash investigation information to the families.
Gail
Dunham, President
